Review - The Raconteurs: Broken Boy Soldiers

by John Mizer
August 18, 2006

Jack White is an artist you could love to hate. The problem is that he keeps coming up with great songs that you've sworn you've heard before, but can't exactly pinpoint. On Broken Boy Soldiers, White has teamed up with some of his Detroit buddies and have put out an interesting mix of 60's and mostly early 70's tinged progrock. Gone is the straight-forward sparse simplicity of the White Stripes and is replaced by sprawling, ambitious, (and sometimes a bit derivative) hook-laden songs that may make the listener ask themself "What DID ever happen to Uriah Heep?" That being said, there's a lot of good music on this CD and it's no mystery why "Steady As She Goes" is the first single. You may have to get your hate on Jack White the next time around as this most recent curveball just keeps us guessing.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5